Method For Offering Location Information and Location Information Providing System

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a location information providing method generating a map image in itself for a current position of a protectee terminal, when a protector terminal requests current position related information of a protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directly transmits the map image besides a picture image of a protectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Korean Application No. 10-2010-0119973, filed Nov. 29, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a location information providing method, particularly to a location information providing method generating a map image in itself for a current position of a protectee terminal at a protectee terminal, when requesting current position related information of a protectee terminal from a protector terminal to the protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directly transmits the map image other than a picture image of a protectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

2. Description of the Related Art

A location based service (LBS) refers to a service providing various information related to positions by means of attaching chips connected to a base station or a global positioning system (GPS) such as a location tracking service, a public security service, and a location based information service. That is, a location based service is to provide several kinds of services based on location information obtained through a wired/wireless communication network.

Technical challenge solved by the present disclosure, is to provide a location information providing method generating a map image in itself for a current position of a protectee terminal at a protectee terminal, when a protector terminal requests information on a current position of a protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directly transmits the map image besides a picture image of a protectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

Another technical challenge solved by the present disclosure, is to provide a location information providing system generating a map image in itself for a current position of a protectee terminal at a protectee terminal, when a protector terminal requests information on a current position of a protectee terminal, in which the protectee terminal directly transmits the map image other than a picture image of a protectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A location information providing method according to the present disclosure to achieve the technical challenges is performed between a protector terminal and a protectee terminal, having the steps of: (a) requesting positioning information services from the protector terminal to the protectee terminal; (b) generating a map image of a place where the protectee terminal is located responsive to the location information service request; and (c) adjusting the map image to a form suitable to display at the protector terminal, and directly transmitting the adjusted map image to the protector terminal.

A location information providing system according to the present disclosure to achieve said other technical challenges; transceives location information between at least two of wireless terminals, comprising a location based service server generating a map image corresponding to location coordinates; a first wireless terminal transmitting the location information service request requiring information related to a spot where a second wireless terminal is situated, and replaying the map image; and the second wireless terminal receiving the location coordinates from a man-made satellite responsive to the location information service request, and then delivering the location coordinates to the location based service server and receiving the map image to transmit it to the first wireless terminal.

The present disclosure is advantageous in that a protector terminal directly receives from a protectee terminal a map image of a spot where the protected terminal is placed and displays the same without going through a location information provision gateway server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 indicates a location information providing system according to the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an example of a display panel of a protector terminal in the location information providing system according to the disclosure; and

FIG. 3 indicates a signal flow diagram of a location information providing method according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

So as to fully understand the present disclosure and benefits in an operation of the disclosure and objectives attained by practice of the present disclosure, reference will have to be made to the accompanying drawings and contents recited in said accompanying drawings of describing exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Hereinafter, by describing a preferred embodiment of the disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is explained in detail. Same reference numerals presented in each drawing represents same members.

A core idea of the present disclosure is that when a protector terminal requests information on a current position of a protectee terminal, a map image on a current position of the protectee terminal is generated at the protectee terminal, and the protectee terminal directly delivers the map image besides a picture image of a protectee terminal user to a protector terminal.

In the prior art, a protector terminal would request location information of a protectee terminal not from a protectee terminal but from a location information providing gateway server using WIPI application. A location information providing server resent location information of a protectee terminal in a data packet to a protector terminal in response to the request.

Herein, WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability) is the name of a standard mobile platform in South Korea. This is established to lade a piece of content in service through several communication agents by standardizing a mobile platform between telecommunication companies. Prior to the introduction of WIPI, a mobile communication market of South Korea used to use a different platform for mobile communication companies, respectively. Since a variously different platform for each mobile communication company is used, each platform resultantly fails to be interchanged. To provide a program such as Games tailored to a platform of ‘A’ communication company for ‘B’ telecommunication firm, an enormous cost including additional investment of development-stage manpower is necessitated. Plus this, when a united platform is introduced, one-time developed program can be furnished through entire telecommunication companies, thus allowing development cost to be saved.

A gateway is a device acting as an inlet moving from one network to another network, which is used to connect one network such as a local area network (LAN) to another network. The reason why a gateway is needed is because a mode of transmitting data from one network to another network is different. Namely, each network transmits data using a protocol (a pre-defined contract as a data processing mode) differentiating from another network. In the case of directly connecting to a network using other protocols, data cannot be shared. Ordinarily, an electronic mail sent via internet can be viewed through a PC communication service, this is because a gateway exists relaying a communication internet and the network of PC communication service companies.

In current times, considering that a location information providing gateway server is not open to all users, but servicing only to a subscriber, a service capable of providing location information when desired to grasp a position of any terminal owner, even in a user that is not a subscriber, is required.

FIG. 1 indicates a location information providing system according to the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, a location information providing system 100 comprises a protector terminal 110, a protectee terminal 120, a man-made satellite 130, a location based service server 140, and a geographic information system server 150.

The protector terminal 110 transmits a location information service request to the protectee terminal 120 requiring information on a spot where the protectee terminal 120 is placed, and plays a map image and a picture image that has transmitted from the protectee terminal 120 on a display panel.

The protectee terminal 120 receives position coordinates from the man-made satellite 130, delivers position coordinates to the position based service server 140, and delivers the map image received from the location based service server 140 to the protector terminal 110 in response to the location information service request transmitted from the protector terminal 110.

The location based service server 140 delivers location coordinates received from the protectee terminal 120 to the geographic information system server 150, receives the map image from the geographic information system server 150, and delivers it to the protectee terminal 120.

The geographic information system server 150 generates the map image containing a region corresponding to location coordinates and a surrounding image of certain range, received from a location based service server 140, to deliver it to the location based service server 140.

Herein, a geographic information system (GIS) means a system employable to a topography related field such as transportation/communication by analyzing/processing a geographic space data. This refers to a comprehensive information system designed to make out/manage a map and geographic information previously utilized in a print-out form by using a computer, and based on geographic information obtained therefrom gather/analyze/process data to apply to all topology-related fields.

FIG. 2 is an example of a display panel of a protector terminal in a location information providing system according to the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, a display panel 210 of a protector terminal 200 may be largely divided into two regions. A picture image display region 220 displays a facial picture image of video call parties, and a map image display region 230 displays a map image. The picture image display region 220 is again divided into two of sub regions A and B, and two of sub regions A and B display faces of 2 talkers, respectively.

The map image display region 230 displays the map image on the spot where the protectee terminal is placed.

A size of the map image may be adjusted according to a size of the display panel of the protectee terminal or to conditions of a base station. An adjustment of the map image is processed in any place of the geographic information system server 150, the location based service server 140, the protectee terminal 120 and the protector terminal 110.

In FIG. 2, the picture image and the map image are displayed dividing a display panel into two regions, but they may be superimposingly displayed. In this case, preferably, one image renders a main image and the other image is an additional image. Also, the picture image may include a face image of talkers as well as a surrounding image of the spot in which the talker is situated. In this case, a talker should be photographing the vicinity part automatically or manually right before video call or during the video call and putting a surrounding image in storage.

FIG. 3 indicates a signal flow diagram of a location information providing method according to the disclosure.

In accordance with a location information providing method 300 according to the disclosure shown in FIG. 3, a general communication between a protector terminal and a protectee terminal is performed with a process that to a video call trial of one party, the other party connects a video call.

A signal flowing for location information service is performed as follows. The protector terminal requests location information service to the protectee terminal. (1) The protectee terminal, returning to the location information service request, receives location coordinates from a man-made satellite. (2, 3)

The protectee terminal delivers location coordinates received from the man-made satellite to a location based service server, whilst requiring map information. (4)

The location based service server delivers location coordinates received from the protectee terminal to a geographic information system server, whilst requesting map information. (5)

The geographic information system server generates a map image containing a location coordinate point and a periphery point of the indicated point using an atlas data base stored and location coordinates received from the location based service server, and delivers it to the location based service server. (6)

The location based service server delivers the map image received from the geographic information system server to the protectee terminal. (7).

The protectee terminal photographs its surrounding image and protectee's face. (8. 9) A protectee terminal performs a video call with a protector terminal, simultaneously delivering at least one of the map image, the surrounding image and facial images to the protector terminal. (10)

While technical spirits of the present disclosure has been described with the accompanying drawings in the above part, this exemplarily describes a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and not limiting the disclosure. Also, to those skilled in the art, it would be clear that various modifications and imitations can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 

1. A location information providing method between a protector terminal and a protectee terminal, comprising: (a) requesting positioning information services from the protector terminal to the protectee terminal; (b) generating a map image of a place where the protectee terminal is located responsive to the location information service request; and (c) adjusting the map image to a form suitable to display at the protector terminal, and directly transmitting the adjusted map image to the protector terminal.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of (b) comprises: (d) receiving location coordinates of the protectee terminal from a man-made satellite by the protectee terminal and transmitting the location coordinates to a location based service server; (e) generating the map image of the place corresponding to the location coordinates by the location based service server; and (f) transmitting the map image to the protectee terminal.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of (e) generates the map image of the location coordinates requested by the location based service server to a geographic information system server.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising (f) generating a surrounding image photographing the periphery around the protectee terminal based on the location information service request.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of (f) generates the surrounding image by any one of the following modes, the modes comprising, generating the surrounding image automatically by the protectee terminal when the location information service is requested, generating the surrounding image in a pre-defined time interval by the protectee terminal without regard to the location information service request, and outputting phonetic order to photograph the periphery around the protectee terminal so that the protectee directly generates the surrounding image photographing its vicinity part.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of (c) comprises, (g) generating the adjusted map image by automatically changing a scale of the map image according to physical characteristics of the protector terminal monitor and conditions of a base station relaying the protector terminal and the protected terminal; (h) generating a facial image photographing a face of the protectee; and (i) transmitting at least one of the adjusted map image, the facial image and the surrounding image to the protector terminal.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the protector terminal displays by superimposing on one screen or displays by dividing a screen, in a case of displaying two images of the adjusted map image, the face image and the surrounding image.
 8. A location information providing system transceiving location information between at least two of wireless terminals, comprising: a location based service server generating a map image corresponding to location coordinates; a first wireless terminal transmitting the location information service request requiring information related to a spot where a second wireless terminal is situated, and replaying the map image; and the second wireless terminal receiving the location coordinates from a man-made satellite responsive to the location information service request, and then delivering the location coordinates to the location based service server and receiving the map image to transmit it to the first wireless terminal.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the location information provision system further comprises a geographic information system server generating the map image corresponding to the location coordinates, wherein the location based service server delivers the location coordinates to the geographic information system server to receive the map image.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second wireless terminal further comprises a function of automatically changing a scale of the map image according to physical characteristics of the first wireless terminal monitor and conditions of a base station relaying the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second wireless terminal further performs at least one of the functions: generating a surrounding image photographing the periphery around the second wireless terminal based on the location information service request; and generating a facial image by photographing a face of the second wireless terminal owner.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second wireless terminal transmits at least one of the adjusted map image, the facial image and the surrounding image to the first wireless terminal.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first wireless terminal displays by superimposing on one screen or displays by dividing a screen, in a case of displaying two images of the processed map image, the face image and the surrounding image. 